Cheering for the Chargers is no passing fancy for Ivan Catano – he drives down from Los Angeles with his game face on for every encounter at Qualcomm Stadium.

What a difference a decade makes – or doesn't.

In 1994, when the Chargers were on their way to their first and only appearance in the Super Bowl, the bandwagon got awfully crowded. People who months earlier had never heard of Natrone Means were suddenly wearing copies of his No. 20 jersey.
In 1994, when the Chargers were on their way to their first and only appearance in the Super Bowl, the bandwagon got awfully crowded. People who months earlier had never heard of Natrone Means were suddenly wearing copies of his No. 20 jersey.

Something similar is under way now in San Diego, with the football team seemingly on its way back to the playoffs. Folks are sprouting bolts on hats, T-shirts and bumper stickers. Brees and Tomlinson gear is worn proudly, not covertly. Charger Mania, redux.

The more games the team wins, seven in a row now, the more people climb on board the Feel-Good Train. A sports franchise on a roll can send a jolt of euphoria through an entire city, and certainly San Diego can use a boost to its self-esteem, what with the fiscal problems and the unsettled mayoral situation.

And surely some of the newcomers, enamored with this year's team, will grow into longtime fans, taking out a second mortgage to buy season tickets. Not everyone gets off the bandwagon.

But it can be useful to separate the real fans from the pretenders – to recognize those who know "Bambi" was the nickname for a Charger Hall of Famer, and not just the name of an old Disney movie.

Find out which one you are – a Bolt or a Dolt – with our quiz on Page E7.